hearing

Dialogues between the waters

Looking into this environment, so rich in history and experience, is so evocative that it seems impossible not to hear the echoes of those who frequented it at the beginning of the 4th century AD.  The voices of the high-ranking personalities housed in the niches of the changing rooms, which still ...
Read more
sight

A curtain between myth and reality

Entering this large octagonal space, we are immediately captivated by the architectural lines and the marine procession depicted on the outside of the mosaic. Nereids and Tritons are shown in the water, with a multitude of coloured tiles embellishing their robes and ornaments, such as armilles and n...
Read more
hearing

An agitated race

The cries of the crowd urging the start of the competition became increasingly deafening, and to think that a few hours earlier, a supernatural silence reigned over the Circus Maximus. The horses huff inside the carceres, nervously scraping their hooves on the ground until the magistrate organising ...
Read more
taste

Panem et circenses

Many spectators are depicted in the southern apse, and from their clothing we can tell they are all high-ranking people watching the race.  Among them, we notice two men handing out bread on rectangular trays. Under its arches, the Circus Maximus concealed a very long portico full of shops and food...
Read more
smell

Smells from the arena

The tumultuous race of the quadrigas raises an immense amount of dust that seems to land on us just by looking at the scene. Right in front of us, the red faction's wagon tips over but immediately resumes the race. From the bleachers, the smells and scents of the robes of the Romans watching the spe...
Read more
sight

A glance at the Circus Maximus

What an extraordinary mosaic this room contains! A chariot race in the Circus Maximus in Rome. The view from the imperial tribune is magnificent. The Cybele statue towers over the marble-covered spina from behind; that viewpoint is only allowed to personalities close to the imperial court who are ho...
Read more
touch

Elegance inside

For a moment, become part of the scene depicted in the mosaic: you would have the opportunity to touch the precious fabric of the dress worn by the domina, made up of ample drapery enriched by vertical bands with different textures, perhaps embellished with pearls, to underline her belonging to a fa...
Read more
smell

oriental scents

The small size of this room allowed it to collect the aromas of the unguents and natural oils that came out of the baths and the ampoules carried by the handmaids for the domina's entrance to the cold baths. The perfumed notes came from substances that also arrived from the distant Roman domains, tr...
Read more
hearing

Whispers and soft tones

The space was used as a waiting room or a changing room for the family of the dominus. It was only to be filled with the voices of the domina and the thermal procession following her, mingled with the sound of glass or alabaster ampoules filled with perfumes and essences. However, the intimate atmos...
Read more
sight

A privileged access for the Dominus family

Everything seems to be gathered in this small trapezium-shaped room which gives access to the thermal areas via a small ramp from the Peristyle. The floor mosaic realistically depicts five differently dressed figures. The one that catches our eye is located in the centre and is dressed in such exqui...
Read more